A gene called DLL3 may help glioma tumors grow
Original title: Single-cell and intercellular communication analyses reveal DLL3 as a key regulator in the glioma tumor microenvironment.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
This was done on cells and gene data in a lab, not tested in people.
The short version
Lab work points to one gene that glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary cells seem to need in order to grow.
What was studied. Researchers looked at gene activity inside single cells from normal brain and from glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary tissue. They then used computers to map how those cells send signals to each other.
What they found. The mix of cells changed as glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary got worse. Signals between tumor cells, immune cells, support cells, and blood vessel cells got stronger. Six genes tied to this signaling were linked to how patients did, and DLL3 was one of them. When the team lowered DLL3 in glioma cells, the cells did not stay alive or grow well.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: DLL3 may be worth testing as a target for future drugs. Right now this work mainly points researchers in a direction.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. No patient was given a drug in this study. The work was done on cells and on gene data, so it is very early. It is not a cure, and it is not something a doctor can offer today. Years of testing in people would come first.
Source: PubMed, September 15, 2026 · Read the original
This plain-language summary was written by AI and published automatically after passing our automatic safety checks. How we write.